The invention herein has been developed in order to alleviate certain problems relative to the firing rates of multiple boiler marine power generating combustion control systems. Typically, a steam regulator responsive to electrical output characteristics of the boiler(s), operates fuel oil regulating valves controlling the pressure to burners for each of the boilers being controlled. The steam pressure regulator also provides a control for the air mixture which properly corresponds to the particular fuel oil pressure rating.
One of the problems associated with the control system of the prior art is that the steam pressure regulator utilized has fixed linkages which control the respective fuel regulating valves for each of the boilers in exact corresponce. Modification of the system to provide independent control of the fuel oil regulating valves is difficult to achieve in terms of both apparatus and economic requirements.
If independent control of the linkages for the respective fuel requlating valves is provided, one valve and corresponding boiler could be operated under normal firing conditions, whereas the other valve and boiler could be operated in light-off mode without first bringing the first operational boiler into correspondence with the boiler to be actuated.
Because many of the boilers in operation have over the years been modified by automation, a system for regulating the pressure to each of the boilers is desirable so that full advantage may be obtained from the automatic controls now available.